Desk of packing-case construction



Dec. 14, 1948. Q E. R. GOLDFIELD ET AL 9 DESK OF PACKING CASECONSTRUCTION Filed March a, 1947 INVENTOR EDWIN R. GOLDFIELD 2. RALPH c.SCHIRING ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 14, 1948 a nppliestimi mm s, 1947Serial No. 733,358

This invention relates. .to" irnpr"ovemerits"'irrv a desk formedof,p'a;ckingcases.v p 1 V An object of th'e' resent' inventionis'toutuizea plurality" of packing cases in which portable equipment iscarried about .fOr' the purpose of providin a desk when the equipmentis" set up foriuse; p p Anoth'er 'objectof' the presentjinvention is toutilize sloping skid rails on a packingcase having one purpose toinsurethat the case is not set upon the floor with the skid equipped end down,and having as a second purpose to provide a sup port foradesk'surfacez.

Another-"object of tliepresent invention is to provide slopingnails.ononeend ot a packing case connected by a cross-bar spaced from the casetogether with a second packing case having a retaining plate or lipsecured to one side wall thereof, whereby the second case may beretained on top of the first case providing a desk with an inclinedsurface.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawings and specification, and the essential features willbe set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing three packing cases arrangedaccording to our invention with a portion of one of the cases brokenaway to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the uppermost case of Fig. 1; while Fig.3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1. I

We have chosen to illustrate our invention in connection with packingcases used for carrying the equipment for mass chest photofiuorographyas disclosed in the copending application of Edwin R. Goldfield, RobertJ. Stava, and Edgar J. Bastin, Jr., Serial No. 624,172, filed October24, 1945, although other uses of our invention will occur to thoseskilled in this art.

The equipment disclosed in the above-mentioned copending application isdesigned for portability, various parts of which are packed in cases I0,H and i2 of the present application. It is desirable, when a largenumber of persons are being examined rapidly by use of the equipmentdisclosed in said copending application, that a desk be provided for theoperator. The present invention provides a novel manner for constructingsuch a desk utilizing the packing cases in which the equipment iscarried about.

Certain of the cases, such as those shown at 10 and I I should never beplaced upon a support- 5 clai s. (01. 46- 69)- ingsurfaee with theendHia or-l'ta downwardly; This is because certain equipment is pacJfeiP-inthese cases in a predetermined direction and means must 'be provided onth'epackingcaseends Mia and PM to insurethat these ends are'pes'iitimedu wardly and "not Y ownwardly; A n ver structure for this purposefittihin withthe-pres enti'nvention is the provision of parallel inclinedskid-rails- I 3 secured to the tops Ll fld and .l f'a' These rails aresecured by weldin or riveting to the metal case's Mand H To this end,the support l ta f'or the" higher end ofthe" skid raiil'is ex tendeddewnwardlyalong'theback or fihe'packing to th'e' l 'ar' Wall at theioWvided with an inturned hangs 12in 'is--s'e'-- cured as by welding to thetop of the packing case. Preferably also, an intermediate support I5 isprovided generally of Z-shape having one flange l5a secured to the raill3 and the other flange [5b secured to the top of the associated packingcase. A crossbar l6 has its opposite ends Welded to the rails I3 so asto provide a unitary structure. Preferably, the rails l3 are part of astrengthening band and skid construction which provides a strong packingcase and prevents damage to the same when it is dragged over surfaces.To this end, bands l3a extenddownwardly the entire length of the packingcase, as indicated at l3d and are then bent at right angles and eX- tendas shown at I36 across the other end of the packing case to the frontedge thereof. A hinged door I1 completes the front of the case, butforms no part of the present invention. Preferably, slight humps areformed in the bands Kid and He, as indicated at l8, so that if thepacking case is dragged across a floor they will protect the bottom andback of the packing case against damage.

The packing case I2 is utilized for the desk top. This case in thepresent instance is elongated for the purpose of carryin some of thelonger portions of the equipment described in the abovementionedcopending application. The case provides parallel side walls I2a andH11. To the side wall IZa are secured two retaining plates or lips H)which in the present instance are indicated as spot welded to the wallIZa of the case. The portion |9a of each plate is flat and secured tightagainst the Wall [2a. The portion I917 is bent outwardly from the wallof the packing case by a distance approximately equal to the thicknessof the crossbar l6 already described. The top of the packing case I2 isclosed by the hinged lid l2c.

Utilizing the above construction, it is very simple to set up a deskafter the packing cases have been emptied. The cases It] and l l arepositioned in spaced alinement as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noticedthat the handles 20 are so positioned on the packing cases above thecenter of gravity that the cases are naturally set down by a workmanwith the ends Illa and Na upward. The packing case I2 is then placedacross the tops of the cases I 0 and H with the lips 19b downwardly. Bysliding the surface |2a down the inclined skid rails Hi, the lips 191)are engaged be: neath the crossbars I6, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Theupper side lZb of the packing case now forms an inclined desk surfaceand a person sitting at the desk will find knee room between the casesIll and H.

While We have shown two packing cases supporting the case I2, it shouldbe understood that one packing case might be used, although in ouropinion, this would not provide as satisfactory a desk.

What we claim is:

1. In combination, two packing cases, one of said cases having a skidformation on one end thereof providing a surface inclined with respectto the surface of said case end to prevent resting of said end on asupporting surface and to compel the placing of said skid formationupward,

a second packing case having generally parallel wide fiat sides, andmeans for securing one of said sides of said second case to said skidformation of said first case, whereby to provide a desk with a slopingtop.

2. In combination, a packing case having two parallel skid rails securedto one end thereof, said rails being inclined in the same generaldirection,

a crossbar connecting said rails, and a desk member having a lipintegral therewith, said lip adapted to hook over said crossbar.

3. In combination, a packing case having two parallel skid rails securedto the outside thereof, each rail extending beneath the bottom of thecase and then alon the back thereof and extending above the top wall ofthe case," each rail then having a portion extending forwardly anddownwardly across the top of the case, whereby said skid rails protectand strengthen three sides of said case and encourage placing said casebottom down, and means connected with said case and rails for anchoringa desk member thereto, whereby a desk member may be secured to said railportions extending across the top of said case.

4. In combination, a packing case having a pair of parallel skid railssecured to one end thereof, said rails being inclined in the samegeneral direction, a crossbar connecting said pair of rails, a secondpacking case having generally parallel wide fiat sides, and a lipsecured to one of said sides and adapted to hook over said crossbar.

5. In combination, two packing cases, each case having a pair ofparallel skid rails secured to one end thereof, said rails beinginclined in the same general direction, a cross-bar connecting each saidpair of rails, a third packing casehaving generally parallel wide flatsides, and two lips secured in alinement to one of said sides andadapted to hook over the crossbar of said first named cases.

EDWIN R. GOLDFIELD. RALPH C. SCI-IIRING.

No references cited.

